Dial control



Ja'n. `14, 1930. o. H. LUTHER DIAL CQNTROL v Filed Oct. 16, 1929 2 SheetsSheet ,INVENTOR Oo' H LLL BY ATTORNEYS o. H. LUTHER DIAL CONTROL Jan. 14, 1930.

Filed oct. 16,1929 2 sheets-sheer 2 INVENTOR WIT SES fw QM es /my Patented dan. 14, 1.930

UNITED STATES OTTO H. LUTHER, OF STANFORD, CONNECTIOUT DIAL CONTROL Application led ctober 16, 1929. Serial No. 400,073.

This invention relates to control dials.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a novel and improved radio condenser control dial.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with radio condensers, the rotor plates of which are adapted for a plurality of revolutions. The invention provides an indicating dial for use in conjunction With such condensers, which will indicate through what revolution the plates are moving at any time during the operation. The dial further provides for the direct reading of Wave lengths or frequencies in conjunction with the revolution indication.

In considering the present invention it will be understood that the device is not restricted for use in conjunction with radio condensers, but that the dial may be used in any device for indicating the angle of rotation of a moving part in conjunction with the number of revolutions which have been made from the starting point.

ln connection with the present invention, it has been shown in the accompanying drawings in connection 'With a multi-range con denser as disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 383,282, filed August 3, 1929.

Other important objects of the present invention include the provision of an indicat.

ing mechanism, which is simple in construction and operation and well designed to meet the demands of economic manufacture.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be a parent from a consideration of the following specication taken in `conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view partly broken away, of one embodiment of the present invention in conjunction with a multi-range condenser;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of that form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2,.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the invention has been disclosed in conjunction with a radio condenser ofthe form disclosed in my copending application above referred to. The condenser includes the conventional chassis 10, Within which stator plates 11 are provided in conjunction with rotor plates 12 carried upcn a rotatable shaft 13, the end of which is journaled for threaded engagement with an internally threaded bearing 14, the arran ement being such that rotation of the sha t 13 rotates the plates 12 to vary the adjacent areas With respect to the plates 11, andnat the same time, moves the shaft 13 longitudinally to vary the space relation. rl `hus by providing for a plurality of revolutions of the shaft 13, a wide range in capacity characteristics of the condenser may be secured.

ln the form of the condenser here shown, the shaft 13 is preferably driven through a gear 15 and associate gear 16 carried upon the forwardly extending operating shaft 17. In considering the present invention, it will be understood that the device is not confined to use 1n connection with this or any other type of condenser, but the form of the device here presented is particularly adapted for use in connection with the condenser, it being understood, however, that the device 'may be modified and various graduations used for accommodating its use to other types of apparatus.

The present form of the" invention includes a central rotatable axis 18, which is adapted to be coupled with the shaft 17 in any suitable manner as by the reception of the shaft 17 therein and its securement as by screws 19. Mounted upon the axis 18, a circular plate 20 is provided, having a peripheral ilange 21 forming a recess between the'flange and the plate, Within which an indicia-bearing strip 22 is received, whereby the plate and strip form a drum of the t e now used in radio condenser dials. 'lha strip 22 of the present invention, however, includes in conjunction with the usual indicia 23, and associate apertures 24 which may be arranged to indicate either frequency, wave lengths, or equivalent useful through a earin use, an elongated aperture 25, which, as will be hereinafter seen, is adapted to indicate the ike, upon 4which the indicia is providedv similar to the figures on a photographic film. The indicia 23, apertures 24, and the elongated aperture are relatively transparentl as com ared with the translucent or opaque d o? the strip.

e condenser structure also preferably includes an external casing 26, which pro- Videsbearings for the axis 18,!asat 27. The front of the casing 26 is provided with a viewing window structure 28, which preferably includes a ground glass window 29. As seen in Fi 3, the window structure 28 may be secure to the casing 26 by screws or the like in a manner to secure it to a control panel, the anel being indicated by the dotted lines in lgigs. 1 and 3. For rotating the drum assembly to inipart rotation to the shaft 17 and to indicate the angularit of that rotation, a friction driving whee 30, as best indicated in Fig. 3, is

provided. -The wheel 30 is mounted on an axis parallel with the axis 18 with its face contacting the external fade of the flange 21, whereby rotation of the wheel 30 will impart responsive rotation on a reduced scale to the axis 18. For driving the wheel 30, a co-operating friction disk 31 is provided mounted u on a shaft 32, which extends and which is adapted to receive an operatm knob 34, as indicated in dotted lines in i 3, The shaft 32 is longitudinally movab e through its bearing 33 and the wheel 30 includes a plurality of grooves 35 which may receive the disk 31, whereby the speedratios between the wheel 30 and disk 31 may be varied by longitudinal movement of the shaft in res onse to inward or outward movement of t e knob 34. Thus throuvh manipulation of the knob '34, the ratios o dial movement lwith movement of the knob, may be varied at will.

For indicating at the window 28, the revolution through which the drum is turning, there is rovided an internal indicating wheel. T e wheel includes a narrow face 36, which is divided `into segments, each of which is of a different color. The segments are translucent and the narrow face -of the wheel lies directly behind the elongated a erture 25 in the strip 22. For rotatin tige wheel, a Geneva gear 37 is rovide which is adapted to be actuated by a coo rating gear 38 carried by' the axis 18.

e gear 38 includes a projection 39, whichl uponeach revolution of the axis 18, is received within a recess of the Geneva gear, to impart to the wheel 36 a fraction rotation thereof, which rotation is adapted 'to present behind the aperture 25 and in alinement with the window 28, different color faces of thewheel.' In 'the present form of the invention, the Geneva gear includes six of the recesses 40, together with six individually colored faces. Thus the device is. adapted to indicate six diferent revolutions of the :axis 1'8. `It will be understoodthat the assembl may be modified in a manner to provide or the indication of any desired number of revolutions.

For rendering the indicias 23, 2A and 25 visible through the lass 29, a suitable illum- .inating bulb' 41, w ich preferably extends `within the wheel directly behind the glass 29, is provided. The arrangement is such that il umin'ation from the bulb will pass through the colored face of the wheel and impart to the elongated aperture 25, a characteristic color to indicate vat what vrevolution the wheel is turning. The illumination from the bulb 41 also illuminates directly the indicias- 23 and 24 to render them visible through the ground glass.

In the operation of the device, the bulb 41 is illuminated and as herein described illuminates the indicia, and through the use ofthe wheel imparts a characteristic to the aperture 25. As the drum rotates, the indiclas 23 and 24 present themselves to the glass and are visible therethrough while the wheel remains stationary, and the characteristic color imparted thereby vis maintained until such time as a complete revolution of the drum been completed, at which time the proJection 39 engages one of the recesses Y40 and the wheel is given a partial rotation, which presents a different color face between .the bu b 41 and the glass 29, thus indicating to the operator that the drum is rotating in a different revolution from that previous.

In connection with the present invention, it will be understood that the device is applicable to various changes, modifications, and indicia arrangement to provide for the use of the device with various apparatus of either similar or different type from that herein indicated by the condenser shown. It will thus be seen that numerous changes, modifications and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to in the manufacture, use or sale of the device, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention4 as outlined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, an indicia-bearing wheel adapted to make a plurality of rotations, and means associated therewith for indicatin the rotation through which said whee is moving, said means including a device for imparting a characteristic color to a portion of said plurality of rotations, and means associated therewith for indicating ythe rotation through which said wheel is moving, said means including a device for imparting a characteristic color to a, ortion of said wheelduring each revolution thereof, said device comprising a wheel having variously colored faces, and an illuminatlng source associated with said wheel for directin colored light upon said first-mentions wheel. v

`3. In a device of the character described, an indicia-bearing wheel adapted to make a plurality of rotations, means associated therewith vfor indicating the rotation thrdugh which said wheel is moving, said means including a device for impartinga characteristic color to a portion of said wheel during each revolution thereof, said device comprising a wheel having variously colored faces, an illuminating source associated with saidwheel for directing colored light upon said iirst-mentioned wheel, and means for iving said second-mentioned wheel a partial rotation in response to each full rotation of said first-mentioned wheel.

4. In a device of the character described,

an indicia-bearing wheel Vadapted to make a plurality of rotations, means associated l indicia visi le, and means for indicating the therewith for indicating the rotation throughv which said wheel is moving, said means including a device for imparting a characteristic color to a portion of said wheel during each revolution thereof, said device comprising a wheel having variously colored faces, an illuminating source assoj accordance with the revolution through which the drum is turning.

6. A device of the character described, 1n-

cluding an indicia-bearin drum, means for illuminatin said drum or rendering said revolution through which said drum is 'turning, said last-mentioned means including a device for imparting color to said drum in accordance with the revolution throughY which the drum is turning, said device includin an internal wheel having variously colore faces.

7 A device of the character described, including an indicia-bearin drum, means for illuminating said drum or rendering said indicia visible, means for indicating the revolution throughwhich the drum is turning, said last-mentioned means including a device for imparting color to said drum in accordance w1th the revolution through which the drum is turning, said device including an internal wheel having variousl colored faces, and means for drivin sai internal wheel with the rotation `of t e drum.

8. A device of the character described, including an indicia-bearin drum, means for illuminating said drum or rendering said indicia visible, means for'indicating the revolution through which the drum is turning, said last-mentioned means including a device for'imparting color to said drum in accordance with the revolution through which the drum is turning, said devicev mcludin an internal wheel having variousl colore faces, and means for driving saidy internal wheel with the rotationof said drum, said means including va Geneva movement.

9. A device of the character described, in-

cluding an indicia-bearing drum, means for illuminating said drum for rendering said indicia visible, means for indicating the revolution through which the'drum is turning, said last-mentioned means including a device for imparting color to said drum in accordance with the revolution through which the drum is turning, said device including an internal wheel having variously colored faces, means for driving said internal wheel with the rotation of the drum, said means including a Geneva movement, and a source of illumination Within said wheel for directing light through said wheel and drum.

l0. A device of the character described, including an indicia-bearin drum, means for illuminating said drum ger rendering said indicia visible, means for indicating the revolution through which the drum is turning, said last-mentioned means including a device for imparting color to said drum in accordance with the revolution through which the drum is turning, said device including an internal wheel having variously colored faces, means for driving said internal wheel with the rotation of the drum, said means including a Geneva movement, a source of illumination within said wheel for directing light through said wheel and drum, and means for turning said drum.

l1. A device of the character described, including an indicia-bearin drum, means for illuminating said drum or rendering said indicia visible, means for indicating the revoluton through which the drum is turning,

said last-mentioned means including a device for imparting color to said drum m accordy ance with the revolution through which the drum is turning, said device includin anl internal wheel having variously o0 Ored faces, means for driving said internal wheel with the rotation of the drum, said means 1 including a Geneva. movement, a. source of illumination within said wheel for directin light through said wheel and drum, and means for turning said drum, said means including a friction wheel and speed-varying driving means for said wheel.

' OTTO H. LUTHER. 

